Now is the time to reduce the excess vegetation around your home that could pose a wildfire threat. Keep Oregon Green, the Oregon Department of Forestry and the Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal urge you to consider chipping or recycling yard debris. If burning is the only option, follow safe burning practices.
Escaped debris burns are the leading human cause of wildfire in Oregon, particularly in the spring and fall when people think it is safe and permissible to burn. In 2016, backyard debris burns that escaped control resulted in 143 wildfires burning 145 acres at a cost of nearly $225,000 to suppress.
Follow these simple safety tips:
Call before you burn — Regulations are not the same in all areas and can vary with weather and fuel conditions. Check with your local ODF district, fire protective association, or air protection authority to learn if there are any current burning restrictions and if a permit is required.
Know the weather forecast — Never burn on dry or windy days.
Clear a 10-foot radius around the pile — No branches or power lines above.
Keep your burn pile small — 4×4 feet piles are recommended. Add debris in small amounts.
Always have water and fire tools on site — Have a charged water hose, bucket of water, and shovel and dirt nearby to extinguish the fire. Drown the pile, stir the coals, drown again, until fire is dead out.
Stay with the fire until it is completely out — Monitoring continually from start to finish is required by state law. Go back and recheck old burn piles. They can retain heat for weeks and rekindle when the weather warms and wind begins to blow.
Never use gasoline or other accelerants to start or increase an open fire. Every year, 10 to 15 percent of burn injuries are the result of backyard debris burning.
More tips on wildfire prevention, including campfire safety, use of motorized equipment, and fire-resistant landscaping can be found on Keep Oregon Green’s website, keeporegongreen.org.
